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Jul 29 2025

The Roundup: Intense talks. Write-in ballot. Eby's complaint.

TUE JUL 29 2025
David Akin's Roundup
Intense talks. Write-in ballot. Eby's complaint.
Canada
Carney says U.S. trade talks at ‘intense phase,’ as deadline looms
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada-U.S. trade negotiations are at an "intense phase" with just days until U.S. President Donald Trump's next round of tariffs could hit. Mackenzie Gray reports on how the trade deal will likely be comparable to ones negotiated with the European Union and Japan, and how Carney's government asked a former prime minister for advice. [Global National]
"I think it's fair to say I'm probably the most pro-American prime minister in Canadian history," Harper told Canadian and American legislators gathered for the annual Midwestern Legislative Conference meeting in Saskatoon. "We've got to get something short-term worked out with the Trump administration. But this really is a wake-up call for this country to truly diversify its trade export markets. [CP]

Voters in the upcoming Battle River-Crowfoot byelection in eastern Alberta will be required to write out the name of their preferred candidate, Elections Canada said, because of the unusually high number of people running and past challenges with long ballots. [Global]
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds half (47%) of Canadians on board with passing a law to stop the efforts of the Longest Ballot Committee, which has stacked Poilievre’s last two election contests to protest Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system [Angus Reid Institute]
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's press secretary Sarah Fischer says he will be attending the event hosted by the Camrose & District Chamber of Commerce ahead of the Aug. 18 byelection. [CP]
A new report from Statistics Canada shows the Jewish community is the most targeted religious group when it comes to reported hate crimes, followed by Muslim Canadians. [Global]
In the midst of heated conflict, Carney is demonstrating an important point for leaders in any realm, says Mary Crossan, a professor of strategic leadership at Western University’s Ivey Business School. “It’s not impossible to set the stage for the quality of the conversation that you want.” [Fortune]
The Provinces
Alberta housing starts could top Ontario's this year
Based on data for the first six months of the year, the province is on pace to build 58,900 homes by the end of 2025. If it hit that mark, it would shatter the previous record and put the province within striking distance of Ontario, which has more than triple the population, according to Doug Porter, BMO’s chief economist. [Edmonton Journal]
Starting Aug. 1, tolls for all vehicles on the Confederation Bridge will drop from $50.25 to $20. Fares for inter-provincial ferries are also being cut by half. [Global]
Eby said major new subsidies for East Coast ferries but not for those in B.C. are a symptom of "structural unfairness." [Global]

Less than a week after declaring Ontario would be “issuing our own work permits” for asylum seekers, Premier Doug Ford has reversed the plan and is instead asking for the federal government to speed up immigration processing times. [Global]
Aurora
Elsewhere
Starmer defends investment in wind turbines after Trump wrongly claims it is ‘most expensive form of energy’
The Guardian's Roundup of Trump's visit to Scotland: 
  • Donald Trump told Israel to allow “every ounce of food” into Gaza as he acknowledged for the first time that there is “real starvation” in the region. 
  • Sadiq Khan said a record number of Americans were applying for British citizenship after Donald Trump called him a “nasty person”. 
  • Donald Trump claimed people crossing the Channel are probably “bad people”, despite admitting he knows “nothing” about small boats. [The Guardian]
Media
How Fox got ahead on the big media future
If you want a glimpse of the coming consolidation in digital media, take a look at Fox Corp., which has been executing an accelerating roll-up of independent media stars. Fox, which includes Fox News, Fox Sports, and the ad-supported streaming platform Tubi, has in recent months announced acquisitions of or partnerships with Ruthless; the podcaster Brett Cooper; Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Sports; and Red Seat Ventures, the ad sales and infrastructure for former Fox News stars Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Bill O’Reilly, as well as Piers Morgan and others. The exact shapes of the deals vary, but they represent a dramatic change from an era during which Fox was known for keeping a tight, exclusive hold on its talent. [Semafor]
Science and Technology

“China clearly wants to stick to the multilateral approach while the U.S. wants to build its own camp, very much targeting the rise of China in the field of AI,” Chen said. He noted how China may attract participants from its Belt and Road Initiative, while the U.S. will likely have the support of its allies, such as Japan and Australia. [CNBC]
The Calendar
  • 1000 ET : Mississauga, ON - AI and FEDDEV Min Evan Solomon marks the opening of a carbon upcycling facility.
  • 1000 ET : Fredericton, - LPC MP David Myles makes an infrastructure funding announcement. 
  • 1100 ET : 13B West Block, - Members of the Movement Media Hub speak to reporters.
Issued this day ...
… in 1964: Sc 431. Charlottetown Conference. Design: Harvey Thomas Prosser.
Issued to mark the 100th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference of the summer of 1864  which, along with the Quebec conference in the fall of 1864 (its centennial is marked on Sc 432), would lead to Confederation in 1867.

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