Police investigate a vehicle after a motorist drove onto the path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people.Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Eight people were killed in the deadliest New York terror attack since 9/11
Another 11 were also injured when a man plowed a truck through a crowded bike path yesterday afternoon. The alleged perpetrator, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, legally immigrated from Uzbekistan in 2010, was an Uber driver and may have been married and staying in New Jersey. According to those who knew him, he "liked the U.S."
New Yorkers seemed determined to go on with their lives as normal in the wake of the attack, reports Joanna Slater.
This is the daily Morning Update newsletter. If you're reading this on the web, or if someone forwarded this e-mail to you, you can sign up for Morning Update and all Globe newsletters here.
If you like this newsletter, you might want to subscribe to our Evening Update newsletter. It's a roundup of the important stories of the day that will be delivered to your inbox every weekday around 5 p.m. ET.
A senior Chinese official is defending the jailing of Uyghur-Canadian dissident
Huseyin Celil was jailed by China in 2007 despite protests from Ottawa and human-rights advocates. Beijing's crackdown on the Uyghur minority is justified to fight extremism, said Zuo Feng, the deputy director-general of China's State Council Information Office. But critics say it's part of a wider effort to suppress Uyghur people. Zuo was in Ottawa to push for Canadian investment in regions that include Xinjiang, where Uyghurs live. Chinese authorities there have restricted travel by Uyghurs, inspected their cellphones and sent many to "re-education camps." And Beijing has increasingly been pressing Uyghurs overseas to return home.
Metro, Loblaw and others are being investigated over alleged bread price fixing
The Competition Bureau has launched a probe of major grocery retailers and suppliers over "allegations of anti-competitive conduct." Wal-Mart along with the makers of Dempster's bread are also being investigated. The news comes at a time when packaged bread producers are grappling with increased competition from discount retailers and a shift in consumer taste to healthier options.
Price-fixing cases are often difficult to investigate and prosecute. The Competition Bureau launched a probe of chocolate-bar makers in 2007 but abandoned the case in late 2015.
As Mueller probes Trump-Russia, don't expect to hear about the crime of 'collusion'
This week, former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos was charged lying to federal agents about his contacts with Russians. His actions may fit the traditional understanding of collusion – a secret agreement or co-operation for an illegal or deceitful purpose – but there's no crime by that name. Donald Trump Jr.'s efforts to arrange a meeting after being promised incriminating information on Hillary Clinton may also fit the collusion definition. But "conspiracy," an agreement to commit a crime, is a chargeable offence.
Another area Robert Mueller might lay charges is the violation of federal election law, which says it's illegal to solicit or accept anything of value from a foreign national. That's typically been understood as a ban on giving money, but Mueller may decide the definition is broader.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Lawyers for ex-McGuinty aides are set to ask for their clients' charges to be dismissed
David Livingston and Laura Miller worked as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, respectively, for former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty. They are charged with criminal breach of trust and mischief over accusations they destroyed government records in connection to the controversial cancellation of two gas-fired power plants. The lawyers are asking the judge to acquit their clients before they call any witnesses. Their request argues that the Crown hasn't proven its case.
Strong earnings drive world stocks higher; investors await the Fed
Upbeat earnings reports helped drive global stock markets higher on Wednesday, as investors turned their focus to a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting for fresh insight on the outlook for monetary policy in the world's biggest economy. Oil prices extended a bull run on hopes that major producers would maintain their output cuts. The U.S. dollar firmed ahead of a Fed rate decision and digital currency bitcoin surged to a record high. In Europe, Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 edged up 0.15 per cent just before 6 a.m. (ET) while Germany's DAX was up 1.28 per cent. France's CAC 40 rose about half a percentage point. In Asia, markets finished higher with Japan's Nikkei jumping 1.86 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 1.23 per cent and the Shanghai composite index rose 0.08 per cent. The Canadian dollar was trading around 77.65 cents (U.S.). U.S. stock futures were trading higher ahead of the North American open.
NEW - We've launched a new Top Business: Evening Edition newsletter providing a summary of the biggest business headlines of the day. You can sign up for it here.
WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT
No one should feel sorry for Alberta
"Of the many tactics that Jason Kenney used to win the leadership of the United Conservative Party, perhaps the most effective was the anger he stoked among his base over Alberta's perceived lot in life. … The truth is, there are many provinces in this country that would love to have Alberta's so-called problems. They would love to be leading the country in economic growth. They would kill to have the highest GDP per capita in the land. Major cities would be thrilled if their economy was surging the way Calgary's is at 4.6 per cent, with employment, housing starts and retail sales all making remarkable gains. This idea of Alberta as this poor, woe begotten, economic basket-case is a myth, one that opposition politicians here like to trade on. But it's a fairy tale." – Gary Mason
Ending House of Cards amid Kevin Spacey sexual harassment allegations is the best disruption
"There are many ways to interpret the flood of accusations that the Weinstein exposé unleashed. Its possible to suggest that a disgruntlement with Donald Trump has led to the exposure of figures who are symbolic surrogates for the U.S. President, and some sort of instinctive cultural cleansing is unfolding. It's possible to joke bitterly that, since Spacey plays a scheming, ruthless president in House of Cards, the public has higher standards for fictional presidents than real ones. What's not murky but is perfectly clear is that Netflix has disrupted in the best possible way by suspending indefinitely production on House of Cards. And the general public wouldn't have it any other way. The time of murky lies, excuses and willful ignorance is over." – John Doyle
HEALTH PRIMER
How common nutrition beliefs hold up to the science
Coconut oil is often called the "world's healthiest oil" but there's little evidence to back that up. And when it comes to cooking food, don't stress about killing natural enzymes. Despite the what raw-food proponents say, the human digestive process destroys enzymes, cooked food or not. And lastly, microwaving vegetables won't zap them of their vitamins.
MOMENT IN TIME
The debut of November baseball
Nov. 1, 2001: It was a bad day for 22-year-old pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim. The South Korean closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 in the World Series with a two-run lead over the New York Yankees. All he had to do was get three outs. But the first batter, Jorge Posada, hit a line-drive double to left field and three batters later, veteran third-baseman Scott Brosius (pictured above) smacked a game-tying home run. The Yankees would go on to win in the bottom of the 12th inning. This marked the first complete game of Major League Baseball ever played in November. The extension of the season came after MLB took a one-week break in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Avid fans will note, however, that technically, the first moment of November baseball was the night before when Yankees great Derek Jeter hit a home run just after midnight. And who gave up that game-winning dinger? Byung-Hyun Kim. – Madeleine White
Morning Update is written by Arik Ligeti.
If you'd like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday morning, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.
Arik Ligeti