In the Feb 7 news: Can the Prime Minister placate the country’s prime ministers on health care?

In The News is a compilation of stories from The Canadian Press to help you start your day. Here’s what our editors have on their radars for Tuesday morning, February 7th, 2023…

What we are observing in Canada…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins the Canadian Prime Ministers at the table today, where he will offer them a significant increase in healthcare funding.

Premiers say they are going into the talks with an open mind, no red line and ready to sign one-to-one agreements with Ottawa for more money.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says these bilateral deals will be a big part of the negotiations, but the main goal is to get Canadians the health care they deserve.

For over two years, Premiers have asked Trudeau to come to the table to discuss increasing Canada’s health transfers, with provinces wanting Ottawa to increase its share from 22 percent to 35 percent.

According to a senior government official, Trudeau will work out a 10-year deal that will top up the annual transfer while offering more targeted funding with matching terms.

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That too …

A new poll shows that a majority of Canadians still regard the United States as their country’s closest ally, even in times of isolationism and protectionist policies.

Leger’s online poll for the Association for Canadian Studies found that 69 percent of respondents still consider the US to be Canada’s best friend, while 31 percent said they disagreed or didn’t know.

However, Canadians appear to be more divided on whether the US is having a positive impact on international affairs: 41 percent of respondents disagreed with this statement, compared to 38 percent who said they believe it is true.

The poll comes as US President Joe Biden prepares to deliver his State of the Union address tonight, his second since becoming president in 2021.

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What we’re seeing in the US…

Someone in Washington state beat big odds Monday night to win an estimated $747 million Powerball jackpot.

The winning numbers were 05, 11, 22, 23, 69 and the Powerball 07.

Lottery officials say a single ticket matched all six numbers and was worth $754.6 million.

The full jackpot is awarded to a winner who chooses an annuity distributed in an immediate but partial payout, followed by additional payments over 29 years that increase by five percent annually. The winner can also choose to receive a one-time cash payment of US$407.2 million. According to Powerball, both prizes are pre-tax amounts.

The jackpot was the ninth largest in US history.

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What we are observing in the rest of the world…

Medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders said a staff member was found dead under the rubble of his home in Syria’s Idlib province after the powerful earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey.

The group says other members of the organization have also lost families.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the impact of this disaster on the thousands of people affected, including our colleagues and their families,” said Sebastien Gay, the group’s head of mission in Syria.

Gay said health facilities in northern Syria are overwhelmed with medical staff working around the clock to respond to the large number of casualties.

The area in Syria devastated by the earthquake is divided into government-held territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by government forces and borders Turkey.

The death toll in the region is fast approaching five thousand, with officials saying the death toll is likely to continue rising for days to come.

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On this day in 1812…

Charles Dickens, considered the greatest writer of the Victorian era, was born in Portsmouth, England.

The author of novels such as ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’ has been widely celebrated not only for his writing but also for his attacks on social ills, injustice and hypocrisy.

His novels remain popular to this day – with at least 180 films and TV adaptations based on his work. He died in 1870.

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While entertaining…

A Winnipeg duo is celebrating a career-validating moment after one of their singles earned veteran singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt a Grammy at this year’s ceremony.

Raitt picked up three trophies, including one for Best Americana Performance for “Made Up Mind.”

The song was written by brothers Joey and Dave Landreth of alternative country group The Bros. Landreth and Jonathan Singleton, an American country singer.

The brothers met Raitt when she was performing at the 2014 Winnipeg Folk Festival, where she asked them to send her some of their music.

Almost ten years later, Raitt’s team informed the group that they were recording one of their singles to include on their latest album.

Dave Landreth says it was a humbling and grounding experience to see Raitt win the award and hear her say hello.

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Did you see that?

The city of Iqaluit says the water supply has been restored after a partial emergency shutdown due to problems with the mains water system.

The city suspended water supplies in parts of the city on Monday and said it had to fix a break in the system that caused a sewer to return to Parliament House.

The city previously suspended all water service Saturday afternoon while crews repaired the water main near the Astro Hill complex. Water supplies were restored to most residents Saturday night, with the exception of a medical boarding school near a water main that is still being repaired.

Water at the boarding house was restored by Sunday afternoon, when the city said crews were continuing to repair two leaks in the mains water system.

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This report from The Canadian Press was first published on February 7, 2023

The Canadian Press

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