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Good evening, readers.
The Lead
Ottawa has announced a new $350 million fund for community organizations providing services to vulnerable Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said money from the Emergency Community Support Fund will either go directly to smaller independent frontline organizations or to larger, national groups, such as the United Way Canada, which will deliver the funding to local groups.
The money is intended to boost activities such as at-home delivery of groceries and medications, helping more Canadians access government benefits, and providing training and supplies to support volunteer efforts.
Trudeau also said today that businesses can begin applying for the federal wage subsidy program — via the Canada Revenue Agency’s online portal — starting Monday, April 27.
<a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/feds-announce-350m-for-charities-non-profits-wage-subsidy-portal-ready-on-monday/">Jolson Lim reports</a>.
With new COVID-19 stimulus announcements coming out every day, it can be difficult for businesses and nonprofits to keep track of what’s out there to support their operations. Fundingportal, though, has prepared a list of all the COVID-19 aid program changes and updates you need to know, plus some reminders on key programs. <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/every-must-know-covid-19-program-update-for-your-business-fundingportal-analysis/">Read more here</a>.
In Canada
Trudeau promised today to “rapidly” ban assault rifles in Canada, in the wake of the horrific rampage by a gunman in Nova Scotia last weekend that <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/22-people-killed-in-nova-scotia-rampage-rcmp-1.4905172">left more than 20 people dead</a>.
But, the prime minister said he’s waiting to introduce legislation at the “right time,” with Parliament still navigating how it will function during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We made strong commitments to move forward with that rapidly,” Trudeau said.
The RCMP is continuing to investigate 16 separate crime scenes sprawled out over more than 100 kilometres of rural Nova Scotia related to the killings, which began late Saturday. The suspect, a 51-year-old Dartmouth man, is believed to have driven a replica RCMP vehicle and set fire to multiple homes along the route, before he was killed at a gas station near Halifax early on Sunday.
<a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/trudeau-committed-to-rapidly-increasing-gun-control-to-introduce-assault-rifle-ban-at-right-time/">Charlie Pinkerton explains</a>.
Trudeau also said two planes from China were forced to return empty to Canada on Monday, without the protective medical equipment that they were sent there to pick up. One of the planes was a federal charter, while the other was destined for a particular province, according to the prime minister.
&#8220;Supply lines and truck shipments to the airports are difficult and interrupted by checkpoints and quarantine measures. For the most part, we&#8217;ve been able to navigate through those and ensure that Canada has received the equipment that it needs,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;But these two airplanes were forced to take off empty.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/two-planes-from-china-forced-to-arrive-in-canada-empty-of-supplies-pm-1.4905466">The Canadian Press has the details</a>.
The federal government is conscious of child custody issues that have emerged across the country during COVID-19, and are looking at potential solutions, Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef says.
&#8220;I know that (Justice) Minister Lametti and his team are aware and working on responses,&#8221; Monsef said during an interview with iPolitics on Tuesday afternoon, when asked about the issues around custody.
<a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/justice-department-working-on-responses-to-custody-issues-during-covid-19-monsef/">Victoria Gibson has this story</a>.
Air Canada has announced that it&#8217;s suspending all scheduled flights to the United States for about four weeks after April 26, following a decision by the Canadian and U.S. governments to continue banning non-essential travel for another 30 days because of COVID-19.
<a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6846844/air-canada-suspending-flights-us/">Global News explains</a>.
An auditor flagged “quality issues” with the information tracking system that logs COVID-19 cases in Ontario to the provincial government more than a decade ago, including concerns around inconsistent and incomplete data, documents reveal.
And, as recently as 2017, MPPs at Queen’s Park from multiple parties were warned by officials that they’d need to invest more money to get a “modern” investigation and outbreak management tool.
<a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/ontario-government-warned-of-issues-in-iphis-data-system-more-than-a-decade-ago-documents-show/">Gibson has more</a>.
Process Nerd: <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/process-nerd-what-to-expect-when-mps-return-to-the-chamber-next-week/">What to expect when MPs return to the Chamber next week</a>
The Drilldown: <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/the-drilldown-lack-of-crude-storage-space-results-in-historic-drop-in-wti-prices/">Lack of crude storage space results in historic drop in WTI prices</a>
The Sprout: <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/the-sprout-slaughterhouse-pauses-operations-over-covid-19-outbreak/">Slaughterhouse pauses operations over COVID-19 outbreak</a>
In Other Headlines
<a title="Ottawa watching food supply chain ‘very, very carefully’ after Alberta outbreak" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-meat-cargill-covid-coronavirus-pandemic-1.5539551" target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener noreferrer" data-external="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-meat-cargill-covid-coronavirus-pandemic-1.5539551">Ottawa watching food supply chain ‘very, very carefully’ after Alberta outbreak</a> (CBC News)
<a title="There was an active shooter. Why didn’t Nova Scotia send an emergency alert?" href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6845194/nova-scotia-shooting-emergency-alert/" target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener noreferrer" data-external="https://globalnews.ca/news/6845194/nova-scotia-shooting-emergency-alert/">There was an active shooter. Why didn’t Nova Scotia send an emergency alert?</a> (Global News)
<a title="The doomed 30-year battle to stop a pandemic" href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/world/the-doomed-30-year-battle-to-stop-a-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener noreferrer" data-external="https://www.macleans.ca/news/world/the-doomed-30-year-battle-to-stop-a-pandemic/">The doomed 30-year battle to stop a pandemic</a> (Maclean&#8217;s)
Internationally
White House officials on Tuesday morning scrambled to finalize an executive order, after President Donald Trump said in a late-night tweet he would temporarily suspend immigration to the United States because of COVID-19. &#8220;In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!&#8221; Trump tweeted.
Officials were still working to draft the executive order on Tuesday, according to an administration official, but hope to have it completed in the next few days for Trump to sign. (<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/donald-trump-immigration-halt-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/donald-trump-immigration-halt-coronavirus/index.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587584368430000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFdsPdHlpCm6LeVkQ_ggTVtCBJaPg">CNN</a>)
Experts say it’s unlikely the novel coronavirus accidentally leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, but the U.S. is seeking access to conduct its own investigation into the claims. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian – who last month shared an unsubstantiated claim that the U.S. military had introduced the virus to Wuhan – responded saying the origin of the virus should be determined by scientists. <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3080868/coronavirus-wuhan-lab-conspiracy-theory-will-not-go-away" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3080868/coronavirus-wuhan-lab-conspiracy-theory-will-not-go-away&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587584368430000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEWHg3OuJlgXJwe5VYJMqpq1qldow">(South China Morning Post)</a>
U.S. stocks plunged at the opening of trading in New York today, and extended into the day as crude carnage continued — on the heels of Monday’s collapse, which saw oil pieces drop 300 per cent into negative territory for the first time. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/stocks-drop-500-points-open-oil-price-crash-200421132632164.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/stocks-drop-500-points-open-oil-price-crash-200421132632164.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587584368430000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHfDqidK8bhKzRhlxatm-GbVcZDnA">(Al Jazeera)</a>
Lawmakers and the White House struck a deal today on a $484 billion relief package that would replenish a depleted loan program for distressed small businesses, and provide additional money for hospitals and coronavirus testing. The Senate was on track to quickly pass the measure later in the afternoon without a formal vote, with the chamber in recess because of the pandemic. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/coronavirus-updates.html?action=click&amp;module=Spotlight&amp;pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/coronavirus-updates.html?action%3Dclick%26module%3DSpotlight%26pgtype%3DHomepage&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587584368430000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG3VnG7q2XLq201OqNgUM_3rgPLUg">(The New York Times)</a>
Authorities in Uganda are set to press charges against a half dozen Chinese nationals who escaped from institutional quarantine about a month ago. The six had escaped quarantine before two of them tested positive for the virus after they were arrested. In all, there are six Chinese and two Ugandan co-conspirators expected to be arraigned.<a href="https://www.africanews.com/2020/04/21/uganda-arraigns-chinese-quarantine-escapees-after-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.africanews.com/2020/04/21/uganda-arraigns-chinese-quarantine-escapees-after-treatment/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587584368430000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEgO6FHYknqbry7wE-C051yBniV0g"> (Africa News)</a>
In Featured Opinion
Elliot Hughes: <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/21/ottawa-should-explore-innovation-lanes-for-post-covid-19-recovery/">Ottawa should explore ‘Innovation Lanes’ for post-COVID-19 recovery</a>
The Kicker
Sorry fans of brews and brats: Munich’s Oktoberfest has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year&#8217;s event, scheduled for Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, has been cancelled, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-oktoberfest/germany-cancels-oktoberfest-beer-festival-due-to-coronavirus-idUSKBN2230RY?utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Reuters reports</a>.
Have a great night!

Evening Brief: Trudeau promises millions in funding for charities, non-profits