Good evening. I'm Will Dove and this is the nightly news for Monday, May 19th.
The Liberal Party inched closer to a parliamentary majority after a judicial recount flipped the southern Ontario riding of Milton East-Halton Hills South in its favor. Liberal candidate Kristina Tesser Derksen won by 21 votes, overturning the Conservative lead from April’s election night. The result, confirmed late on May 16th, marks the second seat flipped post-election, following a one-vote Liberal victory in Quebec’s Terrebonne riding.
Two recounts remain unresolved: Terra Nova-The Peninsulas in Newfoundland and Labrador, where Liberals lead by 12 votes, and Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore in Ontario, where Conservatives hold a 77-vote margin. Mark Carney’s Liberals now hold 170 seats, two short of a majority, while Conservatives trail with 143.
Eight Chinese nationals face charges in a transnational fraud scheme that exploited elderly victims in 37 U.S. states and multiple Canadian provinces. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York unsealed a May 13th indictment alleging the group used tech-support popups to falsely warn victims of compromised devices, then posed as officials from agencies or companies like Apple to steal cash and gold.
Prosecutors identified over $16 million in one cryptocurrency account linked to the ringleader, Xiang Li, a New York resident with prior convictions for prostitution and stolen property. Couriers collected at least $99,504.61 in gold from a Georgia victim, $30,000 in cash from California, and two kilograms of gold bars from Rhode Island, among other incidents. Victims were instructed to convert savings into gold or crypto for “safekeeping,” which was later liquidated and laundered.
US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra declared America “open for business” during his inaugural address to G7 industry leaders at the B7 Summit in Ottawa last week. Speaking on May 16th, Hoekstra defended President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, citing their role in rebalancing trade and boosting domestic manufacturing, while acknowledging initial market volatility.
Hoekstra highlighted recent US deals in the Middle East worth “hundreds of billions” and progress with China trade talks. He also urged allies to increase defense spending, noting NATO’s 2% GDP target. Canada’s current government aims to meet this benchmark by 2030, lagging behind most alliance members.
A damning external review reveals the RCMP’s handling of the 2022 Freedom Convoy was “highly politicized,” with federal officials pressuring Mounties to resolve Ottawa blockades despite lacking jurisdictional authority.
The review confirms Ottawa Police held primary responsibility for managing protests, yet Trudeau government officials repeatedly demanded RCMP leadership. “Interviewees felt the police response was steeped in political influence,” the report states, noting this pressure contributed to the “unnecessary and unlawful” Emergencies Act invocation on February 14th, 2022. A federal court later ruled the Act’s use violated protesters’ rights.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer characterized by a Gleason score of 9, the second-highest grade for tumor severity. The disease has metastasized to his bones, classifying it as stage 4 and incurable, though hormone-sensitive treatments may slow progression. Biden’s office confirmed the diagnosis Friday after he reported urinary symptoms, raising questions about why routine PSA blood tests - which detect 99% of early-stage cases - failed to identify the cancer during his presidency.
Separately, “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams, 67, revealed he shares Biden’s diagnosis and has “months to live.” The conservative commentator described unrelenting pain and failed alternative treatments, including ivermectin. Both cases highlight the disease’s severity, with stage 4 prostate cancer having a 32% five-year survival rate.
President Donald Trump has declared that Russia and Kyiv will "immediately" begin ceasefire negotiations following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and European officials.
Kyiv remains skeptical, with presidential advisor Andriy Yermak stating, "Putin seeks war," after Russian strikes killed 10 civilians in recent days, including nine in a northeastern minibus attack. A prisoner swap occurred during the first direct talks in three years, but no ceasefire was agreed. Trump had conditionally accepted attending Turkey-based talks if Putin participated, but the Kremlin declined.
Previous ceasefires, including a May 8th-11th pause tied to WWII commemorations and a 30-hour Easter truce, collapsed amid mutual accusations of violations.
A Georgia nurse declared “brain dead” at nine weeks pregnant is being kept alive under the state’s heartbeat law, reigniting debates over neurological death criteria. Adriana Smith, 30, developed severe headaches in February and deteriorated despite hospital treatment. A CT scan later revealed multiple brain blood clots, with Emory University Hospital doctors declaring her “brain dead” while continuing life support to protect her unborn son.
Twelve U.S. states prohibit withdrawing care from pregnant patients diagnosed as neurologically deceased. A 2023 review of 35 “brain death” pregnancy cases found 27 infants born alive, with 89% delivered via Cesarean section. Despite an average gestational age of 27 weeks, 85% of these children showed normal development at 20-month follow-ups.
Critics argue “brain death” remains a legally incoherent concept.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched two ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport early yesterday, triggering sirens across central Israel and sending nearly a million residents scrambling to shelters. The Israeli military intercepted one missile, while the second reportedly fell short in desert areas. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the attack, vowing continued strikes until Gaza’s siege ends.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is reportedly negotiating to resettle up to one million Gazans in Libya in exchange for unfreezing billions in Libyan assets frozen since NATO’s 2011 intervention. The plan, discussed with Libyan leaders, offers financial incentives like free housing and stipends. Critics highlight Libya’s instability, with rival governments and ISIS-affiliated factions destabilizing the region since Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow.
Germany’s conservative government has reversed its decades-long opposition to nuclear power following catastrophic grid failures linked to unreliable solar and wind energy. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s administration now backs French-led efforts to classify nuclear energy as equivalent to renewables in EU net-zero legislation-a stark departure from former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s stance.
The policy shift follows widespread power outages in Portugal and Spain three weeks ago, exposing vulnerabilities in Europe’s green energy transition.
Twelve EU member states recently urged the European Commission to recognize nuclear power’s “complementary” role with renewables, signaling broader momentum toward pragmatic energy policies.
China has approved 10 new nuclear reactors costing 200 billion yuan ($27.7 billion), positioning it to overtake the U.S. as the world’s top nuclear power producer by 2030. The State Council-approved projects include eight Hualong One reactors and two U.S.-derived CAP1000 units, adding 12,000 megawatts of capacity. Construction will occur in coastal provinces like Shandong and Guangdong under state-owned operators.
After pausing post-Fukushima, China resumed approvals in 2019, accelerating to 10 reactors annually since 2022. As of 2024, China’s 57 reactors generate 59,760 MW, third globally, with projections hitting 110,000 MW by 2030. Nuclear’s share of its energy mix is expected to rise from 4.7% to 10% by 2040.
Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson & Johnson have accumulated billions in fines for misconduct, according to doctor Vernon Coleman’s analysis. Pfizer paid £84.2 million in 2023 for overcharging Britain’s NHS by 2,600% and faced a $2.3 billion U.S. penalty in 2009 for kickbacks and improper marketing. AstraZeneca settled $520 million in 2010 after suppressing unfavorable drug trial data, including studies linking medications to pediatric safety risks.
GSK’s $3 billion 2012 settlement, the largest healthcare fraud penalty in U.S. history, addressed off-label antidepressant promotions and withheld diabetes drug risks. The company also faced lawsuits over narcolepsy links to its H1N1 vaccine Pandemrix. Notably, former UK Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance served on GSK’s executive team during multiple scandals. Johnson & Johnson reserved $3.9 billion for asbestos-contaminated baby powder claims and paid $8 billion in 2019 for failing to disclose a drug’s hormone-related side effects.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled a “radical framework” to reform vaccine regulations, emphasizing transparency and safety. Commissioner Marty Makary announced plans to replace emergency-use pathways with rigorous placebo-controlled trials, citing outdated COVID-19 shot data. The move follows HHS proposals to remove COVID vaccines from childhood schedules and Novavax’s delayed approval pending fresh clinical studies.
New initiatives include a real-time injury surveillance system and a $500 million federal investment in “Generation Gold Standard” pandemic-ready vaccines. Advocates like Kim Witczak praised the shift from “warp speed” approvals but warned reforms must address liability shields and adjuvant risks. Biopharma stocks dipped after industry-critical doctor Vinay Prasad assumed oversight of vaccine reviews, signaling tighter scrutiny.
I'm Will Dove and that’s the new for today, Monday, May 19th.
Please reduce the volume of the fanfare that occurs at the end of the news, since it’s much louder than the news itself.