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Trump pitches presidency as ‘great American comeback’ in State of the Union address

The nationally televised speech was President Donald Trump’s first opportunity to address the country at length since he was charged in December with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his efforts to put pressure on Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.

Surrounded by a bitterly divided Congress and many of the Democrats who had voted months earlier to impeach him, Mr. Trump cast his time in office as a period of “unbridled optimism.”

At the conclusion of the remarks, Ms. Pelosi stood up and ripped up her printed copy of the speech, tossing it onto her desk.

Also in U.S. politics:

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Court upholds Trans Mountain approval

The federal government’s duty to consult with Indigenous peoples over resource development does not grant them veto powers, the Federal Court of Appeal says, ruling that Ottawa met its obligations for consultation before it reapproved the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion last year.

The unanimous decision from the three-member panel lifts a layer of uncertainty from the $9.3-billion project.

At trial, Indigenous groups alleged that Canada did not engage in genuine consultation – the outcome was predetermined, they argued, because the government owns Trans Mountain.

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Canada's Minister of Finance Bill Morneau speaks to the media, after the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a challenge to the approval of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario Canada February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Blair GableBLAIR GABLE/Reuters

Canadians in Wuhan face uncertainty over coronavirus fears as they wait for evacuation

Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the Chinese government will only allow Canadian citizens travelling on Canadian passports to board the plane chartered by Ottawa, as long as they are symptom-free, with few exceptions.

Evacuees from Wuhan face the prospect of being denied boarding and separated from family members because of rules imposed by the Chinese government.

Off the coast of Japan Wednesday, a cruise ship carrying 251 Canadians was quarantined following a confirmed outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Meanwhile, B.C. officials announced that a second person in that province has tested positive for the virus, bringing the Canadian cases to five.

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A Chinese woman wears a protective mask as she waits on an empty subway platform during the evening rush hour on February 3, 2020 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Métis National Council demands apology from Lynn Beyak for claiming to be Métis: The Council says Senator Lynn Beyak should consider resigning for reportedly claiming to be Métis because her parents adopted an Indigenous child.

Liberals table legislation ‘consistent’ with Rona Ambrose’s bill requiring sexual-assault education for judges: The new legislation would ensure that all newly appointed provincial superior court judges undergo training in sexual law and social context, and would improve the transparency of decisions by requiring judges provide their reasons in writing or enter them into the record.

Psychiatrist who spoke with Lionel Desmond testifies at fatality inquiry in Nova Scotia: A psychiatrist who assessed Desmond two days before he fatally shot his family and himself says the former soldier showed no signs he was planning to hurt anyone when he arrived at the hospital in Antigonish, N.S., on Jan. 1, 2017.

How Vancouver Islanders are getting along with their royal neighbours: Since Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, decamped for Vancouver Island with their son, Archie, after stepping down from their royal duties, British Columbians have been bemused over the role the island has been playing in the drama.

Controversial rollout of speed cameras in Toronto marred by vandalism, theft: Fifty cameras have been installed near schools in a six-month pilot but four of the speed cameras have been stolen before the devices can even start generating tickets. Safety advocates warn the move is too concentrated on quiet local roads.

MORNING MARKETS

Stimulus hopes, virus containment steps lift world stocks: Expectations of more central bank stimulus lifted world stocks to their highest in more than a week on Wednesday, helping investors look past a mounting coronavirus death toll and policymakers’ concerns for the disease’s economic impact. In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei rose 1 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 0.4 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite 1.3 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were up by between 0.7 and 1.1 per cent by about 5:15 a.m. ET. New York futures were up. The Canadian dollar was below 75.5 US cents.

WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

How Canada could strike a grand bargain on climate and energy

Edward Greenspon: “Past energy transitions – water to steam, steam to electricity and horsepower to internal combustion engines – show that change takes decades. Since the environment doesn’t have decades, we need to transform the oil sands into a clean source of power now.” Greenspon is president of the Public Policy Forum and former global managing editor for energy and environment at Bloomberg News

Forget GDP measures: the Liberals want a happiness budget

Andrew Coyne: “Many of the things that GDP supposedly omits, moreover, would be in scarcer supply without it. You can’t put a price on health, but without the wealth that a rich society produces we’d have a lot less of it.”

New Caisse boss Charles Émond is François Legault’s man

Konrad Yakabuski: Mr. Émond owes his promotion to Mr. Legault. The latter will not be shy about reminding him of that.

TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON

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Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail

LIVING BETTER

Not just about muscle and money: What we can learn about longevity from elite athletes

A surprising new study that links the longevity of Olympic athletes to their socioeconomic status offers a more nuanced picture of why elite athletes tend to outlive the rest of us. But this knowledge is more than just for Olympians, since competition is embedded in our daily lives, with hardly any escapes. Adriaan Kalwij, an economist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, found that it’s not all just about being super-rich and super-healthy. It’s not even about winning – it’s about how gracefully you accept the inevitable losses, whether it’s the Olympics or not.

MOMENT IN TIME

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The historic moment taken when the papers of incorporation were signed creating United Artists Corporation on April 17, 1919. Credit: Library of CongressLibrary of Congress

United Artists studio is formed

Feb. 5, 1919: Tired of the financial chaos that swirled around the movie-making industry, and seeking more control over their own careers, actors Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, along with director D.W. Griffith, decided to strike out on their own. But even with some of the biggest names in Hollywood coming together, the founding of the United Artists film studio wasn’t well received. “The lunatics have taken over the asylum,” was how Richard Rowland, president of Metro Pictures, described the venture. Initially, it wasn’t smooth sailing. The quartet didn’t always see eye-to-eye and Chaplin in particular seemed reluctant to fully commit to the venture, and his hit films such as The Kid and The Pilgrim were produced under his existing deal with First National. But UA really took off in 1925 with the success of The Gold Rush, a film Chaplin wrote, directed and starred in. That success continued through the work of actors and producers such as Buster Keaton and Howard Hughes, and although UA sold its production arm in 1951, it went on to distribute the James Bond and Pink Panther franchises, as well as Oscar winners such as Rocky and Rain Man. — Paul Attfield

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