Morning Update: Trump calls for gun reforms; Hedley going on hiatus

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Good morning,

These are the top stories:

Donald Trump is calling for bipartisan gun-control legislation

But finding any consensus on the issue is bound to pose a challenge, with Republicans and Democrats on opposite ends of the table and the heavy-handed influence of the National Rifle Association. Trump, reacting to the latest shooting that left 17 dead at a Florida high school on Feb. 14, said he told NRA officials that it's time "to stop this nonsense." He also spoke in favour of expanding background checks for gun buyers and raising the legal purchase age from 18 to 21. Meanwhile, major U.S. retailer Dick's Sporting Goods announced it will stop selling assault-style rifles. Dick's and Walmart also said they were raising the minimum purchase age to 21.

In other Trump news: Hope Hicks is resigning from her post as White House communications director just after appearing in front of a committee probing Russia's influence on the 2016 election. Hicks, one of Trump's longest-serving aides, took over the director job from Anthony Scaramucci, who himself replaced Sean Spicer, who temporarily took over from Mike Dubke, who succeeded Spicer.

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Justin Trudeau is defending an adviser as India denies involvement in the Atwal controversy

One-time Sikh extremist Jaspar Atwal was thrust into the media spotlight last week when it was revealed he was invited to two receptions with Trudeau during the Prime Minister's trip to India (his invite to the second event was then rescinded). Last week, a senior government source told the media that "factions in India" helped orchestrate Atwal's appearance to sabotage Trudeau's trip. The PM is now defending national-security adviser Daniel Jean, whom he called a "distinguished" and "non-partisan" public servant. The Indian government slammed the allegations as "baseless and unacceptable." Atwal was convicted of attempted murder in a failed plot to assassinate an Indian cabinet minister on Vancouver Island in 1986.

Here's Campbell Clark's take: "In 1958, when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker visited India, officials in the Department of External Affairs were asked to draw up a briefing note with pros and cons for whether Dief should go on a tiger hunt. One of the cons, according to historian Ryan Touhey, was 'Prime Minister could be eaten by tiger.' Nowadays, officials might warn Justin Trudeau that if he returns to India, he could be eaten alive." (for subscribers)

The Bloc Québécois is in disarray after seven of 10 MPs quit the party

The departing MPs are protesting the leadership of Martine Ouellet, who has pushed the party to focus on promoting Quebec secession. The dissenting MPs say Ouellet was ignoring their concerns about the need to defend Quebec's interests in the House of Commons. The Bloc is already a shell of its size in the 1990s and 2000s, and this strife could help the Conservatives and NDP gain seats in Quebec in the next election. Ouellet, who currently sits in Quebec's National Assembly, is so far vowing to stay on as leader and run for a federal seat in 2019.

Hedley is going on an 'indefinite hiatus' amid allegations of sexual misconduct

But the Canadian pop group plans to finish its current tour before taking a break. The band, which has been hit with allegations suggesting inappropriate encounters with young fans, previously said in a statement that they "engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock 'n' roll clichés." Frontman Jacob Hoggard has also been accused of sexual assault, a charge he denied. Hedley's management team cut ties with the band after the misconduct allegations surfaced. Opening acts have also dropped out of Hedley's tour and the band withdrew itself from consideration for the Juno Awards. The group says it has "some soul-searching to do" and apologized for past behaviour.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The chairman and director of cannabis producer Maricann have resigned

Their departures come as the Ontario Securities Commission probes the firm's trading activity. Maricann's latest round of financing, pegged at $70-million, is now close to collapsing (for subscribers). Chairman Neil Tabatznik and director Raymond Stone resigned after the OSC questioned their sale of $8-million in shares right before the company announced a large round of equity financing (a third person is also facing a probe of their stock sales). Maricann's CEO, meanwhile, is under investigation for his actions at his previous company, which is also in the marijuana business.

MORNING MARKETS

Markets brace for Fed chair Powell's second round

World stock markets entered March on shaky ground on Thursday, falling for the third straight day before the second leg of Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell's testimony to lawmakers. The testimony will come two days after his hawkish comments ignited fears the Fed could deliver four U.S. rate rises this year instead of the three already priced in, triggering an equity sell-off and pushing up bond yields. Overseas, Tokyo's Nikkei lost 1.6 per cent, though Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.7 per cent, and the Shanghai composite 0.4 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were down by between 0.5 and 1.4 per cent by about 5:20 a.m. ET.

New York futures were also down. West Texas Intermediate was lower at US$61.26 a barrel. The Canadian dollar was trading at 77.82 US cents.

WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT

We said never again, but the carnage in Syria endures

"After seven years, the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and the displacement of millions of refugees, the world seems to have grown bored with trying to end Syria's civil war. United Nations resolutions come and go without ever being implemented. Foreign governments, including Canada's, denounce the violence according to whose side they're on. And the carnage goes on. The longer the conflict endures, the harder it becomes to end it. There are so many foreign actors involved in Syria now, with so many competing objectives and shifting allegiances, that what started out as a hopeful democratic uprising threatens to inflame the entire Middle East and force a showdown between the West and Russia's Vladimir Putin." – Konrad Yakabuski (for subscribers)

With president for life, Beijing takes an ugly turn

"As of last weekend, President Xi Jinping is no longer bound by term limits. … One should fret over the future of the rule of law in an ever more autocratic Chinese state. But there is no sign of that in the Trudeau government's willingness to engage with Beijing, or in its desire to deepen commercial ties with an economic superpower that wants to buy what we're selling. The question is this: How involved should we become with this increasingly authoritarian China, given our values and interests? How close is too close? It's time our country had a public, grown-up debate about this. China's government is about to rid itself of all accountability and become a dictatorship that answers only to one person. It's a recipe for disaster." – Globe editorial

Doug Ford, Christine Elliott treat each other as biggest threat in Ontario PC debate

"What was otherwise a dull, dull, dull debate for the Ontario PC leadership erupted into an attack by former Toronto councillor Doug Ford on former MPP Christine Elliott Wednesday night, suggesting that each now considers the other the real threat. Ford accused Elliott of a series of opportunistic flip-flops, supporting and then opposing the Liberal government's new sex-education curriculum, supporting and then opposing a carbon tax and opposing Kathleen Wynne's Liberal government then accepting the job of patient ombudsman from that same government. … "I don't have anything to apologize to you for," Elliott retorted, saying her positions were consistent and her appointment was based on merit. Caroline Mulroney was more often than not silent during open debate, reminding viewers she is a newcomer to such forums, and to politics." – John Ibbitson

HEALTH PRIMER

If I'm exhausted before a workout, is it OK to get a boost from a sports drink?

The short answer: you don't need it. Drinks like Gatorade are full of sugar and unless you're doing high-intensity training for 75-plus minutes, you only need water. If you feel like you need a sports drink to muster up the energy, there are likely other issues you're neglecting. For one, you might not be drinking enough water. Other factors could be your diet or a lack of sleep.

MOMENT IN TIME

Canada's first HIV/AIDS hospice opens

March 1, 1988: After years of planning and fundraising, Casey House, Canada's first hospice for people with HIV/AIDS, held its official opening ceremony, attended by dozens of supporters. At a time when individuals with HIV/AIDS were often regarded with fear and prejudice, the original 12-bed downtown Toronto hospice was a warm, comfortable centre that was described as rivalling any five-star hotel. Filled with exquisite furnishings, art objects and paintings, it was a place where residents could live out their final days with dignity. "When [HIV/AIDS] is finally conquered, this hospice will be for all dying people," said June Callwood, the writer and community activist who led the drive to create the facility, at the opening (it was named for her late son, Casey, who died in a 1982 motorcycle crash). The hospice welcomed its first residents a week later. The very first of them was greeted with a hug, according to the Casey House website; it was the first time anyone had touched him in months. While Callwood's vision of conquering HIV/AIDS has yet to be realized, those with the disease now live longer, and Casey House has since evolved into Canada's only stand-alone hospital for people living with HIV/AIDS. It moved into its new purpose-built Toronto facility in June, 2017. – Wency Leung

Morning Update is written by Arik Ligeti.

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